Strategy Is To Double Heat Stars

May 21, 2000|By CHRIS PERKINS Staff Writer

MIAMI — The Knicks believe they've come up with an effective way of defending the Heat, and that's double-teaming Alonzo Mourning and Jamal Mashburn and daring the remaining Heat players to win the game.

The Knicks' defensive philosophy led to Anthony Carter getting an open 3-pointer in the final seconds of Game 6, and it could lead to a similar situation in today's decisive Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Knicks say they're not going to change their strategy.

"It's a give-and-take thing," Knicks forward Latrell Sprewell said. "You're either going to let their key guys go 1-on-1, or you're going to force the other guys to make plays for them, and right now we're forcing the other guys to make plays."

Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy is so committed to double-teaming Mourning and Mashburn that he said he'll surrender the open 3-pointer.

"I was willing to live with it," he said of Carter's shot. "I wasn't willing to live with Mourning getting a point blank shot. So, if you're going to double him in that situation you better be ready to live with losing by the three, if that's what it comes down to."

The comeback

One of the keys to the Knicks' 72-70 Game 6 victory was their play in the third quarter, during which they shaved 10 points off their 15-point halftime deficit.

At halftime of Game 5, Heat guard Tim Hardaway pleaded with teammates to come out hard in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Hardaway said that's traditionally when the Heat relaxes, and that's what happened in Game 6.

"Getting it under 10 right away I thought was crucial," Van Gundy said of the deficit. "We got it to six within four minutes. Down six with 20 minutes left, you know you have a good shot."

On the rebound

The Knicks outrebounded the Heat 46-42 in Game 6, giving them their first edge on the glass in this series.

"We did a better job defensive rebounding," Van Gundy said. "We had five guys involved for the most part. Guys that hadn't rebounded all series rebounded. Latrell [Sprewell] had nine, Allan [Houston] had five and [Chris] Childs had [four]. We did a lot better job as a group rebounding. If we want to win, we're going to have to do the same thing."

Houston is OK

Houston, who rolled his ankle in Game 6, said he's ready. "It's sore but it's OK," he said . ... Van Gundy said he didn't consider putting Mourning on the free-throw line on the Heat's final possession of Game 6. "He's a much-improved free-throw shooter. Maybe in past years that might have been a factor, but not now." ... The Knicks arrived in South Florida around 3:30 p.m. Saturday and conducted a walk-through practice in a ballroom at the team hotel. The floor of the ballroom had a 3-point line, free-throw line and lane marked off with masking tape. "We could have gone to the arena, but this is fine," Van Gundy said. "There's not one thing we were going to do on the court we haven't already done."